The budget is an expansive piece of legislation, which is always a product of negotiation and compromise. Some important proposals were not addressed in this year’s budget, which I am hopeful will be dealt with by the close of the year’s legislative session. Many of these items were addressed in the Assembly “one house budget,” but were left out of the final budget.

Criminal Justice. The proposed Assembly budget included legislation from the Assembly’s proposed criminal justice reform package. The Assembly’s budget proposal would eliminate cash bail in most instances for persons charged with misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. The proposal also enacts the Child Victims Act.

Gun Violence Prevention. The Assembly proposal would have enacted common-sense gun legislation, including a bump stock ban, extreme risk protection orders (red flag laws), extend background checks to close the “Dylan Roof” loophole, taking guns away from domestic abusers, and enforcing mental health components in background checks.

Community and Climate Protection Act. New York must lead on climate change. The Assembly spending plan included the Community and Climate Protection Act which establishes comprehensive greenhouse gas emission reporting requirements and a plan to limit them in New York. The measure requires 50% of electricity in NYS to be renewable by 2030 – one of the most ambitious emission reductions goals in the country

Internet Fairness and Conformity Act. The legislation would require online marketplaces with more than $100 million in annual sales, such as Amazon, eBay and Etsy, to collect sales tax on sales coming into New York. Currently, the state’s outdated tax collection system does not require out-of-state Internet-based competitors to collect sales taxes – giving them an unfair competitive advantage over small, local businesses, who bare an outsized sales tax burden.

Land Banks. Land Bank programs have been incredibly successful in reducing vacant homes in the Capital Region. Unfortunately, funding for these programs was not included in the final budget. The Assembly budget provided $20 million for land bank funding which have been instrumental in neighborhood revitalization.

Ethics Reform & LLC Loophole. Ethics in the legislature has dominated the news for months. While I am proud of the reforms undertaken by the legislature in recent years, it is clear that there is more work to be done. In particular, I strongly support closing the LLC Loophole, which allows certain corporations to avoid disclosing their donations to political candidates.

Early Voting. The right to vote is a fundamental pillar of Democracy and should be accessible as possible. The Assembly budget included expanded early voting to give New Yorkers more opportunities to cast their ballot. While this was not included in the final budget, I am hopeful that this measure will be revisited in the near future,

Preservation League Announces “Seven to Save”. The Preservation League of New York State’s 2018-19 Seven to Save Endangered Properties List draws attention to the loss of historic fabric in National Register-listed Historic Districts; development pressures; and reuse challenges. These seven valued historic resources are in danger of disappearing because of vacancy, disinvestment, and lack of public awareness. I joined the league Monday morning to highlight the need to preserve Albany’s South End, which is featured on this year’s list.

Appearance on WTEN on Equal Pay. Governor Cuomo marked “Equal Pay Day” this week by announcing his support for legislation that would ban employers from asking new hires about their salary history. I joined WTEN 10 Albany to discuss how this legislation will help close the gender pay gap.

Appearance on Spectrum’s In Focus with Solomon Syed. I appeared on In Focus with Solomon Syed this Sunday at 10:30 AM on Spectrum News along with advocates from Prevent Child Abuse New York to discuss what the legislature to can do to curb child abuse in New York.

Community Updates & Events.

Groundbreaking Event for Albany High School. I attended a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the start of the first phase of construction in the renovation and rebuild of Albany High School. The groundbreaking ceremony marked the culmination of years of community effort. Congratulations!

Albany March for Science. The March for Science, a nationwide movement advocating for evidence-based science policies that serve all communities, had its second annual event in the Capital Region on Saturday, which was Citizen Science Day. In an era where the United States has withdrawn from the Paris climate accord, expanded off-shore drilling, and issued government-censorship of climate change facts, the need to advocate for evidence-based science in public policy is more important than ever. I joined the March on Saturday in West Capitol Park in Albany to call for action on science policy.

Washington Park Orchard Groundbreaking. I joined local officials and business leaders in Washington Park on Sunday at for the opening of a new educational orchard. his orchard will aim to educate the community about New York’s remarkable and historically coveted apple crop. Apples have been a pivotal crop in our state since colonial times with hard apple cider being a crucial staple. Today, New York is the second largest apple producer in the United States but more importantly it is home to the nation’s most diverse apple crop, making New York the destination for outstanding craft hard cider.

As always, for the latest news or for upcoming events, please visit my office online, on Facebook, on Twitter, or my Times Union blog. If you would like to reach my office, please feel free to send us a note, or give us a call at (518) 455-4178.

Pat